Chocolate Dates (Stuffed Medjool Dates Nut Butter!)

These Chocolate Dates are a healthier alternative to chocolate candy bars. Stuffed with nut butter and sprinkled with flakey salt, they are the perfect balance of chewy, chocolatey, and nutty! Satisfy your sweet tooth with this healthier candy option.

*This post is sponsored by SunButter, a sunflower seed spread perfect for allergy-safe baking and cooking! Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Sunkissed Kitchen running.

Chocolate-Covered Dates, Nature’s Candy Bars!

I adore dates! They truly are nature’s candy. They have a natural caramel flavor and lots of natural sugars.

The high sugar content is concentrated when the fruit is dried, giving them a sweet, chewy texture.

The caramel flavor is perfectly complimented with chocolate! These nut butter stuffed dates are rolled in melted dark chocolate, making them a simple homemade candy bar. Only better – because they are packed with nutrients!

You only need a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes to throw these together!

Keep these on hand for a quick snack or satisfying dessert!

The health benefits of dates makes them an awesome choice because:

• 2 Medjool dates have over 3 grams of fiber – which is beneficial for your gut microbiome and slows the digestion of glucose, meaning they provide steady energy without the sugar crash.
• They are a great source of potassium, copper, B6, and magnesium.
• The antioxidants reduce inflammation in the body – leading to better brain and metabolic health.[source]

Also try my Gluten Free Date Bars and my Chocolate Date Bars!

This chocolate date is recipe is a template to create your own perfect treats.

Peanut butter stuffed dates are a popular choice. I chose to stuff mine with SunButter sunflower seed butter.

I made two varieties. One is simply stuffed with SunButter No Sugar Added.

The second is stuffed with Chocolate SunButter and an almond, for an extra layer of chocolate and a crunchy texture!

Hop on over to SunButter’s website to see where it’s sold near you!

What You’ll Need

• Medjool Dates (using these large dates makes them easier to stuff! And makes them the perfect “fun size” treats. Smaller dates like Deglet noor dates also work but make smaller treats.)
• Nut Butter (I LOVE using SunButter! For these, I used Chocolate SunButter and No Sugar Added SunButter.)
• Almonds (optional – use pumpkin seeds for a nut-free crunch or omit altogether)
• Dark Chocolate (I like 70%-85% for these treats)
• Coconut Oil (this softens the chocolate coating so it doesn’t crack when you bite down on these)
• Flaky Salt (optional, alternatively sprinkle them with coconut or seeds)

How to Make Chocolate Dates

Step 1: Remove the pit from dates and slice dates lengthwise. Gently open the dates without breaking them apart.
Step 2: Fill each date with about 1 teaspoon of nut butter or seed butter of choice. Optionally, add an almond or chopped nuts of choice to the center of each date. Freeze dates for at least 30 minutes for easiest handling in the next step!

Step 3: Using a double boiler, melt chocolate and coconut oil, stirring to prevent burning. This can also be done in a microwave, by using a heat-safe bowl and heating chocolate for 20 second increments at a time. Stir in between to prevent burning.

Step 4: Remove the stuffed dates from the freezer, and dip dates in the melted chocolate. Shake off excess chocolate and place it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Freezing the dates beforehand will help the chocolate harden quickly, so you can add a chocolate drizzle to the top.

Step 5: If desired, add a sprinkle of sea salt, coconut, or chopped nuts or seeds to the top of chocolate-coated dates.

Step 6: Store the chocolate dates in the freezer for best results. Remove from the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to enjoying.

How to Store Chocolate Covered Dates

This chocolate dates recipe are best stored in the freezer. Frozen dates have a chewier texture, and because these are a natural “candy” and have no preservatives, they will last the longest if frozen.

Once the chocolate is fully hardened, pack them in an airtight container and freeze up to 6 months.

Allow the dates to sit for about 10 minutes after removing them from the freezer.

Tips & Variations

Tip: The coconut oil in the chocolate softens it enough that it won’t “break” off the dates when you bite in to them. If you do not have coconut oil, add 1 teaspoon of nut butter to the chocolate for a similar effect. Adding the coconut oil also thins the chocolate so the coating isn’t too overwhelming.

Chocolate: While I prefer velvety dark chocolate (with everything!), semi sweet chocolate chips, a milk chocolate bar, or even white chocolate will work with this recipe.

Make these Vegan: Use dark chocolate or any dairy free chocolate to keep these vegan!

Make these Paleo: These are paleo as written (use quality dark chocolate!)

Other Fillings

• Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter all make a great filling!
• Crunchy nuts – like chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts. I like to add just 1 whole almond!
• Coconut Butter (for an almond joy type treat!)

Toppings:

• Chopped nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts.
• Flaked coconut
• Seeds, like pumpkin, chia, hemp, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds.

Snickers Bar: Stuff these with chopped peanuts and a little creamy peanut butter for the perfect chocolate, peanut, and “caramel” treat.

Other Date Recipes

• Raspberry Chia Jam (date sweetened!)
• Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Caramel Mocha Iced Coffee

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